It will be very difficult for England to win in Australia. It has not happened
for such a long time and people forget they are coming off the back of a 5-0
embarrassment here four years ago.

But before a ball is bowled, this is England’s best chance of winning in Australia for a generation if they follow simple rules when they arrive in Australia on Saturday.

They have to be ruthless, disciplined and play with flair. They must also not get involved in the war of words. Too many teams in the past have been sucked into the phoney war and the sledging. England should just be confident in their ability to turn up and take on Australia.

Their attitude must be “Australia can say anything they want but we are here to play.” That is all they need to do to get off to the right start. They must also try and win every warm-up game. They should not just treat them as glorified net sessions. Their mindset throughout has to be “we are going to win every single game we play on tour”.

If England are to be successful, then two men have to perform. The first is Kevin Pietersen. He is the best match-winner in world cricket and can turn the course of the game in a session. He is arrogant and confident and if he is in form the other England players get a lift. I believe he can recapture that in Australia if the England management handle him properly.

I do not agree with John Buchanan’s view that he is selfish. I have worked with KP and seen him operate. It is all about the leadership of the team making him feel important, that he is the main man. Everyone has to toe the line but there are some people who are free spirits and you have to let them go. KP is always one of the best prepared players in world cricket. He is forensic in the way he prepares both physically and mentally so just let him go. The more you cage him and encroach on his preparation time then the less he will perform for you.

If England give him room to breathe and the leadership of the England team make him feel super-important then he could really hurt Australia. He can be the man who gives England a chance to win. If they give him a free reign then he could have a 500-run-plus series.

Pietersen in combination with Graeme Swann, who is the other weapon for England, will go a long way to deciding the series.

Swann has an air of confidence about him that can worry the opposition. He is in form and has that knack of getting a wicket in the first over. Everything he is trying is working. He is spinning the ball profusely for an off-spinner and he will really enjoy using the Kookaburra ball too. The quicks will not like the Kookaburra, but the spinners will love it because it has a coarse seam to grip and on a hard, flat wicket in the hot sun Swann will have to do a lot of bowling. He will relish being that main man with the ball.

But this is where England have to show some imagination. If I was Andrew Strauss I would give him a go early. Don’t wait for all the seamers to bowl and then bring on Swann. Let the opposition know he is the trump card, so once the swing starts to wear off after 10 overs he should be first change.

Do not throw on another quick and let the batsmen get settled before bringing Swann on in the hope that he might get a wicket. Make a statement and impose Swann on Australia early. By doing that Strauss is saying, “It’s your move, Australia. Show us what you can do.”

That is an important statement to make as it shows intent and aggression. Strauss can win a lot of points by showing that little bit of imagination. It is vital that he does, because if Swann performs well and takes 25-plus wickets in the series, it will go a long way to England winning. If he fails, then England’s attack is going to struggle.

England must not underestimate Australia simply because they are not playing well at the moment. England have the better preparation for the series but the Australians know their own conditions so well. England do not, so they will have to adapt quickly. They must learn they have to get the batsmen on the front foot. Too often bowlers enjoy the pace and bounce of the wickets too much and try to bowl too short most of the time.

Most Australian players are brought up on that stuff, so they can all hook and pull pretty well. This team is no different. Bowling short to Marcus North, Mike Hussey, Ricky Pointing, Shane Watson and Co will not work. Nicking behind is how you are going to get wickets in Australia, and six out of 10 dismissals will be behind the wicket, which makes catching so important.

Each ground has different carry and bounce, so knowing where to stand, whether to be deeper or squarer behind the wicket is crucial. England must do their homework for each venue. Little things like that could make the difference.

It is a great call the England partners and wives will not be in Australia for the first two Test matches. It gives everyone a chance to gel together.

This is the biggest series in the lives of most of these players. Careers will be at stake in Australia so team unity will be crucial. Every opportunity the team can have to get together after play and have a meal together, hang out at the bar and have a water, or whatever they like to drink, and enjoy the company of each other away from the cricket will be the key to helping them through the hard times.

Five Test matches, 25 days of cricket, is tough. Particularly for one man. In Australia the traditional tactic is to target the captain. Strauss will be hunted. Australia will put him under so much pressure in the hope that he does not score runs. They know if Strauss is under pressure as a batsman then he is under pressure as a captain. The same for Australia. England will target Ricky Ponting so everyone in Australia starts jumping on his back about his batting and captaincy. It’s a tough business and there can be only one winner.